PhoneJoy Play smartphone game controller on Kickstarter

One type of smartphone accessory that people always seem to want is a good game controller with developer support. For most games, on-screen buttons can get the job done, but in almost all situations, physical buttons make for a better experience. A new device called PhoneJoy Play has hit Kickstarter, and it's a controller that supports almost any device you can think of.

The controller is designed to pull apart, so it can comfortably accommodate all shapes and sizes of smartphones. It also pushes in for easy carrying. While closed, the controller measures 102 mm wide by 87 mm high by 37 mm deep. When fully extended, it comes in at 255 mm wide by 87 mm high by 37 mm deep. This means it should be easy enough to carry around, but big enough to fit even extra-large devices.

In fact, it can fit smartphones up to 153 mm wide and 14 mm thick. The controller weighs in at about 250 g. It comes with Bluetooth 3.0 technology to communicate with your smartphone. This means it can work with almost any kind of device such as Android, Windows, Mac OS X, Linux, and iOS devices.

The wireless range promises to be up to 30 feet, but you will likely be using it from close to your smartphone, so range should not be an issue. The battery in the PhoneJoy Play is good for 20 hours of play per charge. It also features 14 programmable buttons for playing your games. The creators are seeking $50,000 and with 29 days to go, has raised $11,424. The cheapest pledge that will get you one of the controllers when they ship in April of next year is $50.